Chapter 374: Counterfeit
The rooms on the second floor of the inn were slightly better than those downstairs—perhaps because few wizards chose to stay here, as the floor bore far fewer muddy footprints.
For wizards, cleaning up was far simpler than for Muggles. Most messes vanished with a single Scourgify spell. But the state of the first-floor common room—filthy, sticky, and layered with grime—would require gallons of detergent and hours of scrubbing with brushes to even begin to fix.
As Aberforth prepared to leave, Remus Lupin called out, “Please wait, sir.”
Aberforth turned, his expression grim. “What now?”
“Earlier… thank you for your kindness and shelter,” Remus said sincerely. “And thank you for not revealing my identity to anyone.”
Aberforth snorted. “Don’t worry about it. Just keep your chaos away from my place.”
He turned and shut the door behind him. The creaking of the stairs faded slowly downward—Aberforth had gone.
“Remus…”
“Wait,” Wade said, raising a hand. Remus shook his head, then drew his wand and cast a series of anti-eavesdropping and anti-intrusion spells in quick succession. Only after the wards were in place did he finally relax and sit down.
“I have to say, meeting here isn’t the smartest idea,” Remus remarked. “The Hog’s Head always attracts suspicious guests—people who enjoy prying into others’ secrets.”
Wade almost thought he meant Snape. After all, it was in this very tavern that the Death Eater Snape had eavesdropped on Sybill Trelawney’s prophecy, reported it to Voldemort, and indirectly caused the deaths of James and Lily Potter.
But after studying Remus’s expression more closely, Wade realized he wasn’t implying anything. The werewolf was merely speaking from experience—not personal bitterness. Otherwise, his expression would’ve been far angrier, and he certainly wouldn’t have been grateful to Snape for helping him recover.
“What?” Remus frowned at Wade’s stare. “Is there something on my face?”
“A little dust,” Wade said, pretending to reach for the water jug to pour himself a drink. But when he saw the grime on the spout, he quietly set it back down.
He then cast a dozen Scourgify spells in rapid succession, finally making the immediate area presentable.
“I get why the rooms still look decent here,” Wade muttered. “Probably every guest has to help the owner clean up after themselves.”
Remus chuckled, then pulled a small, sealed bottle of Muggle beverage from his pocket and placed it on the table.
Wade raised an eyebrow at the faint pocket on Remus’s coat, then studied the label on the bottle—clearly marked Non-Alcoholic Beverage—before finally unscrewing the cap.
Before he could sit, Machionni burst through the door, arms wide. “Wade! Long time no see! How’s the new term treating you?”
“Same as always,” Wade replied, hugging him.
Machionni then embraced Remus with equal enthusiasm, slapping him on the back. “Mate, I’m so glad to see you’re back on your feet!”
Earlier, Remus had been unwell, and his usual contact with Aslan Magical Workshop had been cut off. Wade had explained it as illness—but Machionni had long suspected Remus’s true nature. Still, he didn’t care.
As long as it brings profit, Machionni would hire a Dementor without hesitation. And a well-mannered werewolf? That was a bonus.
Before even sitting down, Machionni leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “Wade, I know you’re gonna blow my mind.”
Wade knew his friend’s nature. No small talk. He opened his palm, revealing several colorful beans.
“Communication Beans,” he said. “Try it?”
He handed one to Machionni and one to Remus, then signaled them to place the beans in their ears, just as he had.
The bean on Wade’s ear shifted to match his skin tone—no Disguise Charm needed. Even without magic, it looked nearly invisible.
He tapped the bean lightly and murmured, “Marco Machionni.”
A low hum filled Machionni’s ear. His eyes snapped wide open—across the room, Wade’s lips were moving, but the words weren’t heard. Instead, a voice echoed in his mind:
“Money brings honor and friends, government and territory.”
The same words repeated in his ear—like a duet.
He didn’t notice Remus watching him closely, but he was too stunned to care. He pulled the bean from his ear, stared at Wade, then at the bean, then back at Wade, unable to speak.
Suddenly, Machionni leapt up, clutching the bean. “Haha! Communication Beans! Communication Beans! Wade, you’re my lucky star!”
He lunged forward, hugging Wade tightly, laughing wildly.
Remus, confused, copied Wade’s motion—tapping his bean and whispering, “Wade Gray?”
Wade tapped his own bean. “I heard you.”
Remus heard his voice too—understood the function of the bean. But he still couldn’t fathom why Machionni was so ecstatic.
“Is this… a talking version of the Book of Friends?” Remus asked. “He’s acting like it’s the end of the world.”
Machionni, of course, heard him. “Because you don’t understand what this means!” he shouted, grinning like a madman.
He dragged his chair close to Wade’s and leaned in, his eyes sparkling. “This is huge, Wade! You just solved my biggest problem!”
“You’re in trouble?” Wade asked.
“Of course I am. Business is always full of trouble—but this one’s worse. While Britain’s still clean, foreign markets are flooded with knockoffs of the Book of Friends. They’re cheap, unstable, and low quality. Since last year, sales have plummeted…”
“Wait,” Remus said, frowning. “I thought it was just that everyone who needed one had already bought it. That’s why profits dropped.”
“Ugh,” Machionni waved a hand. “It’s like fashion—there’s never a ‘sufficient’ amount. Sales dropped because of counterfeits. There are so many of them now.”
“But my income hasn’t dropped,” Wade said, puzzled. “Gringotts sends me a new financial report every week. My monthly earnings haven’t slowed at all.”
“That’s because Soft-Light Badges and Magic Puppets are still selling like hotcakes,” Machionni explained. “Especially the Magic Puppets. No one’s even trying to copy them. The quality difference is so huge, even a three-year-old could spot the fake. Some of the knockoffs are dumber than a Giant—they attack their masters! Total disasters compared to ours.”
He slammed a gray-green Magic Puppet onto the table. “I bought one myself—see? This is what you get.”
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
